Tourism Program Manager

About the role

The Tourism Program Manager will lead efforts that promote Stafford County as a premier destination for visitors, businesses, and events. This position plays a key role in fostering partnerships, supporting local tourism stakeholders, and advancing initiatives that drive visitation and economic impact.

Responsibilities

• Develops, implements, manages, and markets programs that promote the County as a premier tourism destination
• Affords support and assistance in the marketing of Stafford County as a premier tourism destination for a positive economic development program
• Frequently reviews and responds to sports, group and meeting Request for Proposals (RFPs) to promote Stafford County as a host destination
• Develops and implements Tourism Programs to enhance visitor experience and desire within the destination
• Executes the implementation of a Tourism Strategic Plan
• Manages contractors for Tourism related tasks
• Serves as the primary liaison with County and regional tourism assets and partners and is responsible for maintaining ongoing partnerships
• Oversees the maintenance of the County and regional tourism events calendars
• Works with the Project Manager and/or website consultant to manage updates to the Tourism website and takes primary responsibility for ensuring the website aligns with the tourism strategic and marketing plans
• Maintains Customer Relationship Management (CRM) database of all interactions with tourism assets and partners, to include hotel, restaurant, attractions, and County parks, as well as all interactions with sales leads for conferences, sports tourism events, community events as related to tourism, and other applicable interactions that are vital to the tracking metrics as set by the Director of the department
• Manages County listings on applicable tourism websites
• Aids in preparation of monthly tourism e-newsletter, Tourism Advisory Group meetings, tourism brochures, and media copy
• Participates in and represents the County at trade shows to market Stafford Tourism and the destination
• Maintains a contact list of agency contacts, clients, County attractions, offerings, events and visitors and gathers analytics on County and regional lodging activity
• Prepares and maintains files and records
• Answers inquiries and provides information and referrals
• Attends tourism conferences to stay in tune with best practices and tourism industry trends
• Performs related tasks assigned

Requirements

• Thorough knowledge of the principles, practices, techniques, and methods for planning, developing, and maintaining a comprehensive tourism program
• General knowledge of the principles, practices, techniques, and methods for developing and implementing marketing and/or economic development programs
• General knowledge of the geographic layout of the County and surrounding areas
• Ability to plan, develop, and implement advertising and marketing strategies
• Ability to develop and write promotional copies, speeches, and correspondence
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with coworkers, other County departments, community leaders, local historic groups, tourism-related businesses, hoteliers, media, County officials, and state, federal, and local tourism agencies
• Ability to express ideas and present programs and in an enthusiastic and dynamic manner that aligns with the department’s mission and the vision from County Administration
• Skill in public speaking before groups of various sizes
• Skill in using computers, CRM systems, and using a variety of office machines

Qualifications

• A combination of education and experience equivalent to a bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, marketing, economics, or a field related to the work, and 4 years of experience in travel, tourism, leisure, business studies, marketing management or journalism
• Experience at a program management level or higher is desired

Skills

• Public speaking
• CRM systems
• Office machines

Benefits

Stafford County Government offers a competitive compensation package including health insurance, retirement benefits, and paid time off.

Pay

The hiring salary range for this position is $96,720 to $132,995 based on experience. The full salary range for this position is $96,720 to $169,270 to provide opportunity for growth and development.

Schedule

The schedule for this position is typically Monday through Friday, with occasional evening and weekend work required for events and conferences.